Electrical Advice - repeated ground in long run

[CreekGeek]

I’ve got a long run coming out of the house box going 200 feet to a box that controls my irrigation pump. There’s a place half way in between where the line was repaired. Occasionally after a storm the repair is burnt up on the house side of the repair. How is the surge coming through the house box to get to the long line? How do I keep it from doing it. I’ve got a whole box surge protector on the box at the pump. Do I need one at the house? FWIW the house is a 1950s vintage house and box.

[Palmetto Bug]

My guess is that it's not a surge but rather a short between the house and pump that is shorting when it gets wet. Is the repair underground and susceptible to getting wet after a rain? Is the wire size correct for that length of run with respect to the amperage the pump draws?

[GreenHeadRocker]

Replace the entire line and your issue will go away. Trouble always finds the weak spot(splice)

[CreekGeek]

The water was something I had considered. It’s a direct burial splice but I didn’t bury it. I put a box over it. I wonder if if filled up with water when we had all that rain. I may dig the hole a little deeper under the splice in an effort to keep it dry.

And yes running a new line would fix my issues but man that’s a long run.

[Glenn]

When you run the new line put it in conduit.

[cajunwannabe]

A properly repaired splice shouldn't be the source of a short but if it's burning up it can kill someone walking in bare feet across the lawn after a rain. I'm not an electrician but I'd have a gfci installed. That's 220 to the irrigation pump too right?

[Saltydog235]

Replace the entire line and your issue will go away. Trouble always finds the weak spot(splice)

My guess is that it's not a surge but rather a short between the house and pump that is shorting when it gets wet. Is the repair underground and susceptible to getting wet after a rain? Is the wire size correct for that length of run with respect to the amperage the pump draws?

When you run the new line put it in conduit.

All of this. Creating a bigger sump isn't fixing your issue, may just compound it. My guess would be an improperly made splice and seal. That long of a run and that weak point is a short.

[bearclaw]

A good splice wrapped properly should solve your problems and if the wire is large enough for pump and distance. Will need some kind of runner tape/aqua seal tape with electrical tape wrapped around that. Another good splice that I’ve seen ( from Cubans stealing electricity) was a coke bottle around the wire then filled with spray foam. It made a water tight seal.

[wbrown609]

Fix the splice first. If everything else is done right, and you still have problems after fixing the splice, wire may have another bad spot on it somewhere underground.